


Bicycles

by Mpkorver



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Bicycles, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 14:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10923552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mpkorver/pseuds/Mpkorver
Summary: The SSSS crew find a bike store and go cycling around to have some fun. Tuuri teaches Sigrun to cycle and Emil has a solution for Lalli's fear of bicycles.





	Bicycles

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place directly after [page 590](http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=590).

After a long and boring drive, the SSSS crew finally arrived at the hospital they were looking for.  
“Looks good enough, the place isn’t collapsing or anything. Gimme a second and we’ll go in.” Sigrun said, having stepped out of the cattank.  
“Alright, let’s get going!” she continued. “I want **you** with me, your eyes are useful”, she pointed at Lalli, “And **you** , you’re good at reading”, she pointed at Mikkel. “ **Not** you.” she told Emil.  
“What did I do?” asked Emil, hurt.  
“Nothing! You’re fine, buddy. Someone needs to stay behind and watch over the helpless babies.”

With these words, Emil was left behind. Sigrun seemed to have a point; according to the protocol, non-immune persons shouldn’t be in the silent world unguarded. Still, it stung.  
Emil was way too often on “stay behind and guard the stuff”-duty for his liking, back in his cleansers-time. It was an unpleasant reminder. But then, Sigrun was their captain and Emil wasn’t going to let her down. He waved the chosen team goodbye and accepted his fate.

In the tank, Tuuri had become a bit cranky. “Helpless babies! Phh! What is Sigrun thinking?! Without me, you all wouldn’t be able to understand Lalli, couldn’t drive the tank and wouldn’t be able to repair the motor! >:/”

“Yeah...” Emil sighed and sat down.  
Tuuri noticed he looked upset. She understood what was going on. “But it’s true that Reynir and me are non-immune,” she continued, trying to cheer him up, “so I am glad that you’re here in case trolls or giants show up.”

“Hm? Oh, nice.” Emil absent-mindedly answered.  
“I mean it, though.” Tuuri continued. “If you weren’t here, I’d be scared. Sigrun did tell me how heroically you slaughtered that troll…”  
Tuuri knew she wasn’t helpless and was mostly just trying to make Emil feel better, but it was nice not to be eaten by a giant.

“Oh.” Emil replied. “It’s just that… In my time with the cleansers, they always made me stay on guard, while the others went to play with their flamethrowers… I felt really underappreciated.”

“Ah, that must have sucked.” Tuuri lost her initial crankiness. She knew Emil didn’t have a nice time with the cleansers.  
“I understand how you must feel now. But I do think Sigrun appreciates you a lot, judging by how she calls you a warrior and such. Even Lalli seems to appreciate you, and he is not used to working with others. Apart from this incident, how is it going? How do you feel about working with us?”  
Emil smiled at the sound of Lalli’s name.  
“I do feel appreciated here, generally, and I like working with you all. You’re nice and enthusiastic, Sigrun is a motivating and energetic captain, and Lalli…”  
Emil slightly blushed.  
“I’ve never met anyone like Lalli. He’s so…”  
“Hmm? He’s so what?” Tuuri asked, smiling.  
Emil blushed furiously. “Nothing! Thanks for the chat Tuuri, I feel better now, enough talking about feelings!”  
“Are you sure?” Tuuri asked. “I’d love to hear what you feel for Lalli.”  
“Nope, enough chatting about feelings!” Emil almost yelled.  
“Okay… Now I’m bored though, I finished all the reporting work so far. Besides, I’ve seen enough of the inside of the cattank. How about we go on a little walk?”  
“What? No, too dangerous! I’m promised to protect you and Reynir, not to endanger you!”  
“Okay… in that case, let’s resume our little conversation about your feelings. Tell me, how do you feel about Lalli?”  
“I’m sure that taking a small stroll won’t hurt!” Emil said, quickly changing the subject.  
Tuuri smiled mischievously. “Great, I’ll get Reynir.”

She walked to the back of the cattank, where Reynir was knitting something. Kitty was bunting him.  
“Hey Reynir, do you want to go for a stroll?”  
Reynir looked up. “Isn’t that dangerous?”  
“Nah, Emil is with us.” Tuuri shrugged it off. “Besides, you can help if something happens.”  
“I can help! Sure, I’ll go with you.” Reynir dropped his knitwork and grabbed Kitty.

“It’ll just be a short walk though.” Emil said nervously. What if Sigrun returned to an empty tank?  
“Sure, let’s go.” Tuuri said determined.

Outside the tank, Emil pointed at a direction. “There’s the hospital, which we’re not going into.’  
“Fine, then we’ll go into the opposite direction.” Tuuri decided.

Emil was nervous the entire walk. Somehow Tuuri had manipulated him into agreeing and he felt tricked. Even if nothing would happen, he’d still be in trouble if Sigrun found out. On the positive side, Tuuri did look happy.

After a little while of walking, Tuuri found an interesting building.  
“Bike store” she read out loud. She smiled. “Eee! I love cycling, I miss it!”  
Reynir’s eyes seemed to be twinkling too. “Can you open the door, Emil? Please?”  
Emil thought a little. Why not, if it’d make Tuuri and Reynir so happy. He was in trouble anyway.  
“Okay. Stand back.”  
He put some explosives at the door and lighted them. He ran to a safe distance right before a small (for Emil’s standards) explosion happened.

“Eee!” Tuuri ran into the bike shop and chose a sturdy, small adult bike that wasn’t burned.  
“Please don’t cycle too far.” Emil said worried when Tuuri crossed out of the store. Emil chose a bicycle too, one that seemed to fit him. His eye landed on the perfect bicycle for Lalli.

Reynir got a bicycle with a little basket on the steer, in which he put Kitty.  
“I miss cycling too.” he told Tuuri when he caught up with her. “I used to do it all the time in my town back in Iceland.”

“Cool, same.” Tuuri replied. “Onni and me used to cycle a lot back in Finland. He made me wear a helmet and knee and elbow protection :p. I also used to repair bicycles for the village. Oh, but Lalli can’t cycle. He never was interested in it. When I asked, he told me it seemed too hard and unnecessary to him.”

On Emil’s suggestion, they went back to the cattank. After a couple of races by Tuuri and Reynir (Tuuri won, apparently having a good cycle-condition), the other half of the team came back. Emil expected Sigrun to be mad at him, instead, she looked at him happily.  
“Congrats all on not dying during our last stint together!”  
“How did it go without me?” Emil asked, relieved she didn’t seem mad.  
“Not only are we returning with riches, we might even have a recipe for a vaccine. Or a cure! We’re going down in history, boys! Time to order a pick up boat soon! For now though… What have you been doing in the meanwhile? Bicycles?”  
“Ah, yes, eh, I figured those might come in handy when the motor of the tank breaks down… I mean if…” he made up.  
“Good thinking!” Sigrun praised, right before getting interrupted by Tuuri.  
“Sigrun! Follow me to get a bicycle too!”  
“Sure!” Sigrun replied enthusiastically. “I’m the most best at cycling!”  
Mikkel and Sigrun followed her to the store.

Emil went to Lalli. “So, I hear it went well? You got the recipe for a vaccine?”  
“Mhh.” Lalli replied.  
“Are you going with me to pick a bicycle?” Emil asked.  
Lalli did not reply, so Emil grabbed Lalli’s arm and gently dragged him along.

Lalli had little clue about what Emil had said, but since everyone suddenly had bicycles he figured it was related to that. Lalli panicked a little, how was he going to explain to Emil that he wasn’t able to cycle? He always had thought that the vehicles were scary and he just didn’t have the motoric skills required to use one. Not that he had tried often. Besides, he didn’t even need it. He was a fast runner with a good condition. Little did he know that Emil had a plan.

When they arrived at the store, Mikkel had chosen a bit sturdy bicycle while Sigrun had picked a bright red one. However, “most best at cycling” didn’t exactly seem to be true. She kept meandering with her steer and had to step off to prevent falling every few metres. She looked very determined, though.

Lalli had been panicking about not being able to cycle for nothing. Emil pointed at a tandem. Lalli made a small smile. That didn’t nearly look that scary, Emil would be with him. Lalli assumed that Emil would steer and keep balance so he wouldn’t have to.

When Emil saw Lalli’s smile, he felt a bit warm inside. He took the tandem and brought it outside. He sat on the front saddle and patted on the one behind him. Lalli stepped on it and held onto the small steer attached to Emil’s saddle.

It took Emil quite some effort to start since Lalli wasn’t exactly cooperating well (which Emil didn’t blame him for, he didn’t know how to), but once they were started, it was easy to keep going. Lalli smiled. He had never tried cycling before out of fear, but with Emil it was easy and fun. He didn’t have to worry about balancing and steering so Lalli enjoyed the ride.

* * *

“Sigrun, I think it’s time for you to admit you can’t do it yet.” Tuuri said after Sigrun had fallen for the umpteenth time.  
“Nonsense! I have never tried this before so I’m sure I can do it! …Ouch my arm.”  
“Exactly. I don’t want you to get hurt… even more.”  
Sigrun sighed. “Okay… you won. Teach me.”  
Tuuri smiled. “With pleasure. Under one condition, though.”  
“Hmmm?”  
“You take your words back about me being a helpless baby.”  
“Sure, I was joking! You are really valuable for the team, with your language skills and your mechanic skills and your… bike skills.”  
“And how about Reynir?”  
“He still is a helpless baby.”  
“I can’t argue with that. Now I’ll help you. Get on the bicycle.”  
Sigrun did, leaning with one foot on the ground to keep balance.

Tuuri put her hands around Sigrun’s waist. “You can’t fall now. Go.”  
Sigrun started pedalling like mad.  
“Not so fast or I can’t follow you!” Tuuri yelled.  
She barely managed to catch Sigrun when she fell again.  
“Okay, slowly cycling, I get it. Let’s try again.”

Tuuri hold onto Sigrun’s waist again and Sigrun started cycling at a more reasonable speed. Although Tuuri still had to run, she didn’t let Sigrun go.  
When Tuuri had trouble keeping the speed up, Sigrun said “Okay, I can do it now!”  
Tuuri let Sigrun go, who meandered a bit but didn’t fall.  
“Okay, way to go!” Tuuri yelled at Sigrun, who was at a distance now.  
“I’m cycling! I’m cycling! I’m- ah!” Sigrun barely managed to dodge a tree. She stepped off the bicycle.  
“Okay, time for lesson two: steering.” Tuuri yelled in Sigrun’s direction. Sigrun managed to start up and cycled back.

“To steer, you have to turn the steering wheel an lean a bit to the direction you want to go. Let’s try.”  
Sigrun sat on the saddle and Tuuri put her hands on her waist again.  
“Both hands on the steering wheel, Sigrun.”  
“Awh, that’s boring.”  
“Cycle around that tree.” Tuuri instructed.  
Sigrun did so and Tuuri followed her to her side.  
“Now, lean to the left and steer to the left.”  
Sigrun steered a bit too enthusiastic and almost drove into the tree.  
“Calm, Sigrun, steer calmly.”  
“Okay, let’s try again.”

This time, Sigrun managed to calmly steer around the tree.  
“Good, now try to do it without me.” Tuuri suggested.  
“Ahw, but I like your hands on my waist.”  
Tuuri blushed.

On her own, Sigrun meanderingly managed to steer. She went widely around the tree, but nonetheless, she made it. She turned around and went back to Tuuri.  
“Thanks for the lesson! Just a bit more practise and I can do it on my own!”  
“Great job!”

With the lesson being over, together they went back to the cattank.  
Reynir was making rounds around the cattank with Kitty still in his basket. She seemed to enjoy it.  
“Cycling is a good training exercise! Where are Lalli and Emil?” Sigrun asked him.  
“I think they went over there.” Reynir pointed at the direction. “Emil said that they wanted some privacy.”  
“Ooh, so my right-hand warrior and the little mage are making a romantic trip?” Sigrun hastily assumed. “Good for them, they deserve to relax a bit.”  
Tuuri smiled. “It’s nice that Emil got Lalli to enjoy cycling. I never managed that.”  
“I guess Emil is just the right person for Lalli.” Sigrun said.  
“True. A tandem is such a nice solution, I wouldn’t have thought of it.” Tuuri replied.  
“And speaking about the right people, how about we go for a trip, just the two of us?” Tuuri boldly asked Sigrun.  
Sigrun smiled. “I’d love to. Let’s go.”

Mikkel sighed. “And no-one will be back in time for dinner.”


End file.
